Eliska's house in the country is surrounded by fields of tall grass & pine tree forests. She knows the local bus driver, can point out her elementary school when we ride by it, & has two cute cats that lounge around her yard. I love visiting her home to take a break from the city & to catch up with Eliska in the sanctuary of her room & garden. Every trip is a refreshing experience & it's easy to see why she loves living in this quiet, green space.
A few nights ago, she invited some of our closest friends over for a small dinner party. She prepared fresh garden salads, homemade pastry with mascarpone & arugula (my absolute favorite - I've fallen in love with eating arugula on everything since we moved to Czech), & grilled vegetables with herbs & spices. We all marveled over her table styling & delicious food & enjoyed ourselves in the garden together.
Eliska & Lukas were our first friends in Prague & later introduced us to Jason. We've had holiday dinners, late nights, hard conversations, & road trips together over the years we've spent here & I couldn't imagine Prague without this family of ours. It was nice to catch up again before the start of this next transitional season & our dinner in Eliska's garden was a special way to spend intentional time as a group.
After we finished dinner, Eliska brought out a beautiful carrot cake & we all sat around the table talking & drinking cider & wine. When the stars came out & our dessert was eaten, we said our goodbyes & headed to the train station; thankful for friendship that continually grows & lasts throughout the night.